Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

A Life-Changing Perception Lesson

Posted Sep-20-2007

On December 30, 2006, I snapped this photo with my digital camera of the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona. Standing on the rim of this majestic world wonder and taking in the reality of how "it" became is one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had.

The Grand Canyon is one of many physical places in recent years that has helped me to embrace the idea that a reality much larger than myself surely exists. Nature. The Great Teacher. Me. One note in the beautiful symphony of life.

This photo is only one of dozens I took of the Grand Canyon that day, but I count it as one of the most unique. Why? Well, not counting the "touristy" photos (the ones with my family members and friends standing on the Canyon rim smiling and waving back at me), most pictures were straight-on shots of the Canyon itself, without obstructions. Yes, typical shots of the beautiful Canyon rim set against a blue sky backdrop with rich brown, red, and orange earthy-colored walls climbing deep into centuries of history. They're unforgettable breathtaking scenes.

However, when I took this photo, I purposely positioned myself in front of a group of trees and pointed my camera at the Canyon through them. I wanted to include the trees, some alive, and others dead, that lined this particular spot on the Canyon rim. You can clearly see the Grand Canyon when you look beyond the trees, but yet, you can't help but notice the trees and may even ask why someone would purposely obstruct such a beautiful picture of the Canyon with such minor details.

Ah, now we're getting deeper and into the symbolic meaning of the photo. What could it possibly mean? It will mean something different to each one of us, but for me at that moment in time it was a lesson to be perceived.

The intention I had at capturing this scene was to remind myself of a moment of clarity I had as I approached it: There is always a bigger picture beyond the frontal details, beyond the immediate issues we face before us. And yet, those things immediately confronting us are important to deal with as we meet up with them. Perhaps we'll find a way to deal with them, accept them as necessary details of a larger picture, or maybe see them as minor details to look through to attain the deeper, whole vision through the other side.

This was an important lesson for me to perceive then, and it is important for me to revisit today as I approach a new grove of trees on my path in the coming weeks. I will remember that beyond the immediate surface details, something breathtakingly awesome just might be revealed. Meanwhile, I will remember that I am only one note in this beautiful symphony of life that all seems to flow so perfectly.

Yes, nature will lovingly teach us if we consciously open our eyes to what it's showing us and listen deeply to the music it plays. •

© 2007 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved.